Most agency proposals look alike at first glance: a monthly fee, a list of channels, and a promise of more leads. The differences that decide whether the engagement pays off sit in the details: who owns the ad accounts, what is paid on top, how leads are qualified, and what happens when you leave.
This checklist is the one we'd want a client to use on us. It applies to any lead generation agency, including ours.
1. Scope: what exactly is the agency doing every month?
A good proposal names the channels, the deliverables, and the rhythm of the work. 'Lead generation' on its own is not a scope. Ask which campaigns will run, who writes the ads and landing pages, how often campaigns are optimised, and who follows up on leads.
- Which channels are included, and which are not?
- Who handles the first response to a new lead: you or the agency?
- How is a 'qualified lead' defined, and who agreed that definition?
2. Costs: the fee, and everything around it
Ad spend is normally paid on top of the agency fee. That is fine, as long as it is visible. Ask whether ad spend runs through your own ad accounts and your own payment method, or through the agency. If it runs through the agency, ask whether it is marked up.
Also ask about setup fees, software licences, and any pass-through costs such as hardware or content production. Everything should be in the written quote before you sign.
3. Ownership: what stays with you if you leave?
This is where engagements get expensive in hindsight. Ad accounts, your domain, your Google Business Profile, and your customer data should always be yours. Some deliverables, such as a custom website or professional photos, are often licensed rather than transferred. That can be a fair arrangement, but only if it is stated upfront, together with the price of a buy-out.
We publish our own ownership table on the pricing page for exactly this reason.
4. Reporting: leads and revenue, not just clicks
Clicks and impressions are easy to report and easy to inflate. Ask for monthly reporting on lead volume, cost per lead, lead quality, and, where you can share it, how many leads became customers. Quarterly reviews should compare results against the targets agreed at the start.
5. Compliance: German rules are not optional
Cold emails to people who haven't agreed to receive them, fake reviews, and cookie banners that load trackers anyway are all common reasons for warning letters (Abmahnungen) in Germany. Ask how the agency handles consent (§ 7 UWG), reviews, and data protection, and whether it will sign a data processing agreement (Art. 28 GDPR) where it processes personal data for you.
6. Term and exit
Ask for the minimum term, the notice period, and what the handover looks like. A confident agency doesn't need to hide its exit terms.
Take the next step
Hold us to the same checklist.
Book a free strategy call and you'll get a written proposal that answers every question above.